Game Review: Patapon (PSP)

Patapon is a charming blend of strategy and rhythm that doesn't hold back on …

You've read my thoughts about the core gameplay of Patapon in the past, and not much has changed with the final version. If I have any one complaint, it's that at times the game feels like you're simply commanding a full-motion video sequence that reacts to different input in a way that seems reminiscent of Dragon's Lair or some other interactive movie.

Don't get me wrong: Patapon would qualify as a beautiful movie. The art style, the animation, the quality of the sound production... everything in the game has a distinct flavor. The use of color is striking, as the foreground and majority of your characters are black, but backgrounds, enemies, and special effects are vibrantly colorful. The level of detail is incredible, as well, as each character animates independently during battle. Later on in the game it's possible to have several dozen characters on screen at once with arrows flying and axes swinging; it's as though the conceptual art work was created for a pilot in competition for The Animation Show, rather than for a video game.

Thankfully, the movie-like vibe of the main action is offset by the sheer amount of item management, customization, and strategy that comes into play. There are a ton of different activities that you can participate in while at the Patapons' hometown of Patapolis, including a few mini-games that net different items important for character creation: a simple rhythm game with a giant tree rewards special tree branches, a cooking game rewards special meat, and so forth—items which, when used during the creation process, create extra powerful and uniquely-colored units. The depth that the character customization system offers is impressive, as you'll be able to fashion a unique and powerful army with a little work and grinding of past levels.

The combination of rhythm and strategy does make for some challenging levels later in the game. Having assembled a sizable army and the lot of moves, you'll find yourself sometimes overwhelmed by the amount of on-screen action, as you beat your drums mercilessly to command your cute horde.

For the paltry price of $19.99, Patapon offers one of the most stylish, engaging, imaginative, addictive, and altogether enchanting experiences that you can get on the PSP. While I wouldn’t say the game is reason to pick up a system, it is most certainly one game that will make you incredibly happy that you have a PSP. As I've said before, there has never been anything quite like Patapon. At the very least you should download and sample the free demo. I've fallen in love with the title; it's the kind of game that I'm sure I'll be hailing come the end of the year's "gems you may have passed over" post.